Bank-check



J. KOPECKY.

BANK CHECK.

I I APPLICATION men MAYZI, 1919. 1 ,344:,235. Patented June 22, 1920.

2 sums-sum 2.

MASON, Iowa L CITY BANK PAY TO THE ORDEROF o1 2 3 6 7 a 9 THOUSAND 3 50 0123456783 HUNDRED %0 10 20.30 405060708090 DOLL/R53 0 1o a0 4050 28-0123456783 012345 PAY TO THE ORDER OF MASON, IQWA ;L9 No.

CITY BANK DoLums UNITED STATES PATENT .oFncE.

301m KoPEoxY, or MASOALCITY, IOWA. I y

BANK-CHECK.

specification of I.etters Patent. Patented June 22, 1920.

Application filed May 21, 1919. Serial No. 298,578.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KOPEOKY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mason City, in the county of Cerro Gordo and State of 'Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bank- Checks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to printed matter, particularly to bank checks, and has for its object the provision of a check which is so formed that when properly filled out by the maker it will be practically incapable of falsification or alteration.

An important and more specific object is the provision of a check which has inscribed upon its ,face a plurality of intersec'ting lines defining rows of'squares, the

different successive rows having inscribed inthe squares thereof series of numerals or numbers designating thousands, hundreds, tens, and units of dollars, the numeral in any desired square in any row or-as, many rows as desired being adapted to have inscribed thereabout, by means ofa pen or the like, a circle from which extends a line traversing the progressively higher numerals or numbers in the row, the aggregate of the indications in the various rows representing the amount of the check.

Anotheli object is the provision of a check of this character which is provided with an additional protection consisting of a plurality of circles or other geometrical fig ures, which are left blank and which are arranged in horizontal rows and which are adapted to have inscribed therein by a pen,

figures also designating the amount otthe check and corresponding to the indications in the previously described rows, these circles having adjacent thereto legends for I the guidance of the maker of the check and designating the limits of the amounts possible to be written in each row,

Anotherobject is the provision of. a check of this character which is designed to be a great protection to the maker of the check,

especlally in view of the fact that the various squares arereferably formed incolors other than-t ose of theordinary inks and itbeing another feature that these colors may have such chemical composition that in the event of an attempt to alter the check by the use of an ink eradicator, the

squares will be so blurred and smeared as to reveal the fact at once that an attempt to falsify has been made.

' An additional object is the provisionof a check of this character which may" be formed by the ordinary process of printing,

ings, and especially to Fig. 1, it will be seen that I have provided a check 10 having the usual features such as the date line 11, number line 12, ayee line 13, and si nature line I Instead: however, of provi ing the ordlnary line upon which the amount is written, I provide a anel 15 which is formed of aplurality of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines 16 and 17, respectively, which form a plurality of horizontal rows, 18, 19; 20, and 21, of squares. The squares in each row are inscribed with numerals rang-' ing from 0 to 9.and the check has imprlnted thereon adjacent the topmost row 18, the legend Thousand, adjacent the row next beneath, 19, the legend Hundred, and adj acent the two lowermost rows, 20 and 21, the legend And (blank) dollars. This arrangement forms one rotective device as will be h reinafter exp ained;

Also inscribed upon the check at' the end,

opposite that provided with the panel 15, is a plurality of rows, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, o

figure may be usedfif preferred. This arrangement of circles is divided, referably,

by a line 27, into two sets of co umns, the circles at the left of the line being adapted to have inscribed therein numbers designating inte ral dollars ran in from units to thousan s, or higher, an t e circles at the right of the line being adapted to have in-.

scribed therein numerals designating cents.

circles, though it will be understood that any other suitable form of geometrical llll till

The circles are of course arranged in horizontal rows and adjacent each row is inscribed a legend indicating the range in that particular row.

The use of the check is best explained by describing the operation of making out a check for a stipulated amount, say, for the sake of example, three thousand, four hundred, twenty five dollars and thirty seven cents. in filling out the check for this amount, the operator makes, with a pen, a circle about the numeral 3 in the horizontal row 18 of the panel 15 and draws a horizontal line to the right end of the row, as shown. He next draws a circle about the numeral 4 in the row 19 and draws a horizontal line to the right of this row, and treats the numerals 2 and 5 in the rows 20 and 21 in a similar manner. llhen the panel 15 is then inspected it will clearly indicate the amount of the check.

The provision of the circles, above described, is an additional protection and is useful as follows: Assuming that the amount of the check is that above specified, the maker of the check writes within' the successive circles of the lowermost row 26 the 3? 4t, 2377 5777 377 779 which according to the legend immediately above this row will indicate the amount of the check in agreement with the amount indicated by the pen encircled numerals in the different rows of the panel 15.

In the practical carrying out of the invention, it is preferable that the entire panel 15 and the rows of circles be printed in some color other than blue or black so as to contrast strongly with the colors of inks ordinarily used. It is-also preferable, though not necessary that the chemical composition of the ink used for printing the panel 15 and circles be such that in the event that a check falsifier were to attempt to remove the pen indications by an ink eradicator the panel and circles would be hopelessly blurred and smeared so as to indicate that an attempt had been made to alter the check.

Fig. 2 is the same as Fig. 1 except that instead of employing numerals themselves in the squares of the panel the names of the numerals are spelled out.

Fig. 3 varies from the Fig. 1 in the particular that the rows 18 and 19 of the panel are separated from each other and the row 19 is separated from the rows 20 and 21 which are together, the legends being between the rows.

In Fig. 1, the panel 15 includes the rows 18 and 19, designating thousands and hundreds, respectively, as in Fig. 1, but the row 28 next below the hundreds row has inscribed in its squares numerals in multiples of ten, ranging fromzero to ninety. The lowermost row 29 is the same as the lowermost row 21 in Fig. 1 and indicates units, or single dollars. This form of the check is also provided with a panel 30 formed of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines 31 and 32, respectively, defining two horizontal rows 38 and 34: of squares within each of which is inscribed a series of numbers. The numbers in the upper row are in tens ranging from 0 to 90 and those in the lower row are units ranging from O to 9. This panel is adapted for use in designating the cents in the amount of the check, the maker drawing a pen circle about the proper numerals and running a line to the right in each row. Adjacent the panel 30 at one end is the legend Cents. This form of check is also provided with the columns of circles at its right end as in the previous forms.

lln Fig. 5, in place of the panel 15, ll provide a panel 35 which is the same in formation except that the rows 36, 37, 38, and 39 have inscribed therein numbers indicating thousands, hundreds, tens, and units of dollars, and the legends may be omitted excepting the word Dollars. Disposed below the panel 35 is a panel 40 identical with the panel 30 and having there adjacent the legend Cents. vided with used in the same manner as the previously described forms.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that T have thus provided a check which may be quickly and easily filled out in a clear manner but yet which will be practi- This form is also pro the columns of circles, and is cally incapable of being falsified or altered and which will consequently be a great safeguard to the maker.

While I have shown a few modifications in the formation and arrangement of the numeral bearing panels it will be understood that l reserve the right to make such variations in the form and arrangement. as will fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

It will also be understood that in filling out the check the selected numeral may be crossed or punched or otherwise designated instead of following the method of encircling the numeral and running a line through the numerals on the right hand.

I claim:

A check having inscribed upon its face a plurality of horizontal and vertical lines arranged in intersecting relation and defining a panel consisting of a plurality of horizontal rows of squares, the squares in the successive rows having inscribed therein numbers arranged in sequence and designating in the respective rows thousands, hundreds, tens, and units representing the dollars in the amount of the check, said check having further inscribed upon its face a plurality of circles arranged in horizontal rows with the number of circles in in said panel, and the. check having further each successive row decreasing by one, the inscribed upon its face adjacent eachrow circles in the successive rows being adapted of circles numbers indicating the maximum 10 to have inscribed therein numerals designatand minimum amounts writable in the row. ing the amount in dollars and cents of the In testimony whereof .1 hereto affix my check and conforming to the amount desigsignature.

nated by cancellation of the proper squares J OHN KOPECKY. 

